Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, Attorney General Paxton And Senator Cruz Address Executive Amnesty Ruling

Photographer | Pete Souza

Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Senator Ted Cruz today held a joint press conference to address the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas’ decision on the lawsuit filed by a Texas-led coalition of 26 states challenging President Obama’s executive action on immigration.

“The decision by Judge Hanen was far more than a victory for Texas and the states who joined us,” said Governor Abbott. “This was a victory for America, for the rule of law and for the Constitution. We have a primary witness in this case and that is President Obama himself – who has 22 times acknowledged his lack of presidential power to circumvent Congress and unilaterally change the law. I am confident that as this case works its way up through the appellate process, we can – and will – win.”

“Had this amnesty been allowed to go into force by executive action, which we believe was illegal, I think we would have seen a new wave of thousands coming here hoping to achieve amnesty,” Lieutenant Governor Patrick added. “We are going to continue to be vigilant. We are going to continue to maintain law enforcement on our border. National security starts with border security and border security begins in Texas.”

“The Obama Administration’s executive amnesty would have caused major repercussions in almost every facet of our state, from education to our economy to public safety,” General Paxton said. “This is about far more than the merits of any immigration plan; it’s about whether we wish to empower any president with the authority to circumvent Congress whenever the legislative battles prove too difficult.”

“The decision from the federal court was a major victory for the rule of law,” Senator Cruz said. “All of us have reason to be proud that Texas led the way, standing up to President Obama’s illegal and unconstitutional executive amnesty. All of us have reason to be proud that our governor, Greg Abbott and our Attorney General Ken Paxton, led the way, standing up and fighting against lawlessness.”Among the 26-state coalition fighting President Obama’s attempt to unilaterally grant amnesty are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.